Overview
Small Group
Boutique
Premium
12-99 Years
18
Fully Guided
Itinerary
Welcome to the birthplace of the Renaissance and the romantic capital of Tuscany. After meeting the group at our hotel, we'll get to know each other over a delicious welcome meal. Stay: Hotel Roma (or similar) (D)
Our journey will begin with an in-depth walking tour of Florence. A local guide will bring the city alive as we stroll by the likes of the Duomo, Piazza della Repubblica and the Ponte Vecchio. After lunch, we'll set a course for lovely Lucca – where cobbled streets, red-roofed buildings, fascinating history and fine architecture await us. This evening we'll be free to explore Lucca at our leisure. Stay: Hotel La Luna (or similar) (B)
A rocky coastline dotted with candy-coloured villages – today, we'll turn our attention to the awe-inspiring Italian Riviera! After winding our way along this sublime stretch of shoreline, we'll find ourselves in Cinque Terre: a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Having spent some time getting to know the area with our expert Tour Leader, we'll return to Lucca for an evening spent at our leisure. Stay: Hotel La Luna (or similar) (B)
Infamous and impossible to miss, the Leaning Tower of Pisa makes for a staggering first port of call today. There will be plenty of time for photographing this iconic landmark as we explore the Campo dei Miracoli at our own pace. After a leisurely lunch, our attention will turn to the magnificent medieval ramparts of Volterra. We'll spend some time exploring this mysterious town before discussing the day's events over an evening meal together. Stay: Hotel San Lino (or similar) (B/D)
Today we'll make tracks to San Gimignano: home to a magnificent piazza, meandering stepped streets and some beautifully preserved architecture. While we're here, we'll sample some exquisite creations of a local gelato maker – before we're treated to an indulgent Tuscan wine tasting. Before the day concludes, we'll pay a visit to medieval Siena – an open-air museum of Gothic architecture and home to the magnificent Duomo. After taking in the town's historic sights on a guided walking tour, we'll journey onwards to Pienza – our home for the night. Stay: Hotel Corsignano (or similar) (B)
Pienza's timeless charm and enchanting rural backdrop makes for a serene spot to spend this morning exploring at our leisure. Later, we'll sample some handcrafted cheese at a delightful local farm's shop with sweeping views over the surrounding countryside. This evening is ours to spend as we wish. Stay: Hotel Corsignano (or similar) (B)
After breakfast, it's all aboard the mini-coach as we wind our way through the delightful Chianti countryside on our way to a regional cookery class. After learning some local recipes from our host, we'll have the chance to tuck into our creations for lunch. Buon appetito! The afternoon will be ours to enjoy at our leisure before we reconvene for a final dinner together. Stay: Fattoria degli Usignoli (or similar) (B/L/D)
Before returning to enchanting Florence, we'll stop off at a local oil mill for a guided tour and olive oil tasting. All in all, it's a fitting end to a tour celebrating the natural beauty and culinary traditions of Tuscany. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- Explore the mysterious medieval town of Volterra
- Unlock the secrets of Tuscan cuisine with a cooking class set amongst the romantic Chianti region
- Indulge in a delectable cheese and wine tasting at a local shop in Pienza
- 7 nights in thoughtfully selected accommodation
- Luxury minicoach
- Driver, Trip leader
- Group size: 18 guests (max)
- 7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunches, 3 Dinners
- Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Prices are for land/cruise only. International flights not included.
Operator
Our tours appeal to those looking for a more relaxing style of travel, and who enjoy culture, good food, meeting like-minded people and exploring destinations in depth. We welcome first-time travellers, but also find that many of our passengers have travelled with us before!
Trip Reviews (2)
Sadly, we did not think the tour was great value for money and were disappointed - not with the places we visited read more - but with the amount of time we had to spend in these small villages. The villages themselves were lovely but mainly only one main street and full visiting and seeing sights were done in a couple of hours. Then we all had to sit around and wait for collection time. It was so very hot and we were all always looking for shade in which to sit and pass time and wait for collection.
Most of the accommodation was fine but the last one especially was well below par. The grounds were absolutely amazing, but the accommodation itself was dark and dingy - although roomy-but very disappointing for our lat night on the tour. Also, the food for the dinner was very disappointing with some of the meals not being cooked properly and had to be returned and then some of these meals were replaced with - FISH AND CHIPS - not our idea of good dining for our last night together. Although the hosts tried to make up for this with extras, such as coffees and desserts, the evening was disappointing because of the poor food.
Also, the mini coach was so very small - little room to store hand luggage-the aisle between the seats was very narrow. I am only 5ft 1in tall and weigh about 53kg but found it very cramped and difficult to walk freely up the aisle of the coach. Therefore, it would be advantageous if the coach was considerably bigger. I am unsure if you received comments from others on this tour, but we all spoke about these facts freely. Luca certainly did make the tour enjoyable, but we felt that the points I have listed really need to be addressed. Thank you for reading this review and we trust these points will be taken into due consideration. P.S. Tracey at Global Journeys who looked after our booking was great and always helpful with questions we had. Thank you Tracey.
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Back-Roads Europe & UK (2025-26)
Prices & Dates
There are currently no departures available on this trip. Either it's the end of the season and new departures will be released shortly, or this itinerary has been changed and is not operating this season. Feel free to contact us for information about when next seasons dates will be released or click here to view general release dates for all destinations.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Back-Roads. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
